


like a canary

by burdened_with_glorious_hunters



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Annabelle the Doll, Buzzfeed Unsolved Supernatural, Confused!Ryan, Demon Shane Madej, Demons, Gen, Ghosts, Oblivious Ryan Bergara, One Shot, Supernatural Elements, Warren House, so how about that new ep?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 12:17:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19723516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burdened_with_glorious_hunters/pseuds/burdened_with_glorious_hunters
Summary: "i'm gonna lock you up inside my body like a little canary" Shane's voice cuts into the quiet of the Warren House, words a low timbre. "you can be stuck inside my rib cage forever... what do you think of that Annabelle?"Ryan cant hold back the almost hysteric grin from overcoming his features, not sure if the words spilling from Shane's lips are the taller man's idea of a joke or something else entirely.///////////Just a Demon!Shane oneshot based off the latest Episode of Unsolved featuring Annabelle the Doll.





	like a canary

The pair stood amidst the infamous Warren House, surounded by various allegedly haunted artefacts from all around the world. Despite the assortment of items, there is one artefact that the ghoul boys had in mind when attempting to find evidence of the Supernatural- it is the demonic raggedly doll, Annabelle the doll. 

The doll itself sits watching in a case designed specifically to keep the demon inside at bay, the wooden casing of the cabinet soaked in holy water and adorned with a silver cross in order to keep the unearhtly being at bay. it sits awash in a red light, the sign "warning: do not open at any cost" an eery statement which never fails to send chills up the spine of Ryan as he drags his attention from the doll to inturn look at his companion. 

He looks in time to catch the thoughtful expression which overcomes Shane's features. "can you jump into my mind?" he posses the question to Annabelle, eyes caught onto the hollow gaze of the raggedy doll. 

"you could think of this guy as a very big doll" Ryan jokes, but he's stuck watching how Shane's face is eerily stoic, void of his usual cheer.

"i'm gonna lock you up inside my body like a little canary" Shane's voice cuts into the quiet of the Warren House, words a low timbre. "you can be stuck inside my rib cage forever... what do you think of that Annabelle?" 

Ryan can't hold back the almost hysteric grin from overcoming his features, not sure if the words spilling from Shane's lips are the taller man's idea of a joke or something else entirely. Eyes sliding to his companion in stunned silence he's greated to the sight of Shane staring down Annabelle with a deadly serious expression unlike anything Ryan can picture the other with. There's a beat before the tense atmosphere seems to drop and Ryan catches the moment Shane's lips twitch upwards in a ghost of something akin to amusement. "it _is_ weird to make direct eye contact with it" 

"yeah i don't like it" Ryan confesses, words all but tumbling ontop of Shane's. "a man who stared into her eyes before crashed into a tree and died, so..." words trailing off Ryan shrugs to hide his growing unease, deciding to glance down at the equipment in his hands rather than following Shane's eye to look at the doll head-on. 

"you can imagine waking up in the middle of the night and seeing that little face" Shane muses, throwing a lazy gesture towards the doll. His thoughts turned to the account that one of Annebelle's original owners had recounted, something about the doll crawling up the man's body and strangling him while the man laid paralyzed and unable to throw the creature off. 

"ooh!" Ryan exclaims. "we got a spike when we talked about..." he trails off at the sudden crackle of static. "did you hear that?" 

"huh?" Shane drawls, a far off look to his eyes as he were focusing on something other than Ryan's words. Oblivious, the other didnt notice the way the taller man's eyes were faintly unfocused only returning his attention when Ryan elbowed his side. "hear what?" he quried, blinking. 

Ryan levels him with a wide-eyed look. "the knock on the wood" 

"no, that was the Osmo making a creak" 

By the look of disbelief Shane sends his way Ryan can tell that his face must display a look of earnest disagreement. "there-

"there was no knock on the wood" Shane denies shaking his head in dismissal., voice full of conviction. At Ryan's flat expression, Shane gasped dramatically. "did you hear that?"

Heaving a sigh Ryan grasped to attempt to reign in Shane's dismissal. "there was a little-"

"it was clear as a bell!" Shane mocked, making a emphasises knocking noise as he spoke over Ryan. 

"no it was like this" Ryan argued, reaching upwards to knock lightly against the wooden panels on the roof above them. "it was more hollow sounding" the smaller man doesn't have to look at Shane to tell the other is unimpressed by his evidence. Deciding to move things along, Ryan brings up the Spirit Box in focus for one of the many tripods situated around the room. "Annabelle" he adresses. "i'm gonna turn on something that may help you speak to us" 

Ryan feels more than sees Shane as the other leans over his shoulder. "you think this is how they defeat her in the movie, with the spirit box?" 

Placing the Spirit Box at the edge of Annabelle's wooden case Ryan's voice drips with doubt. "i dont think thats how they defeat her" 

Behind him Shane lets out a dramatic groan as he mockingly does an impression of the demon posessing the doll. "its to annoying! i'm going to fo back to hell now just to chill out for a bit and destress" 

All the while Shane jokes behind him, Ryan can't help the compulsive laugh that escapes him as he tries to set up the equipment. The moment Shane's words finish the loud static of the Spirt Box breaks into the silence around them, noises of surprise escaping the pair.

"we turned on a device that will help you speak to us. please use the energy of it to communicate with us. can you say our names back to us to let us know you're here and that you would like to communicate? we're not here to hurt you" At that moment the Spirit Box flickered through the channels, momentarily pausing on classical music. 

"ooh! lovely!" 

Ignoring his companion Ryan pushed forward. "my name's Ryan" 

"my name's Shane" the taller cut in. 

"please say our names back to us if you would like to communicate" unsurprisingly the pair are met with static. "can you knock on something?" Ryan queries, casting a callback to the earlier knock he had heard. "can you replicate this?" he asks, once more hitting the wooden beam above them. 

Once more the Spirit Box sends out a wave of music. 

"oh lovely" Shane teases noting the way Ryan raised an eye-brow at him. "she's really treating us to some lovely classical music" 

"alright Annabelle, im turning the spirit box off 'cause you obviously dont like it" Ryan sighs, the room sounding evermore so quiet without the noise of static to fill it. "i dont know if you can speak but if there's anything you'd like to say to us, maybe something you want to communicate to not just us but the world at large, now would be the time to do so. im going to give you some silence for you to do whatever you would like" 

The silence that follows causes the hair at the back of Ryan's neck to stand up, making him uneasy as he tries not hold eye contact with the doll for too long. 

"you're just a doll" Shane drawls lowly, the sound almost spooking Ryan as much as the doll's presence is. 

hanging his head, the darker man heaves a defeated sigh. "i tried to give you silence" 

"isn't that what the guy said to her?" 

Ryan face flickers with a range of emotions before he turns in disbelief to the taller man. "oh god" he cringes, "why did you say that man?" 

Shane knocks him on the shoulder, seeing the unease lining Ryan's body. "come on, come on" 

"what's wrong with you?" Ryan questions, voice wavering as he pointedly avoids looking towards Annabelle. 

"im just, you know, trying to be very thorough here" 

"or stupid" Ryan mutters under his breath. 

Shane throws his hands out in a placating gesture. "if we want a response..." 

Rubbing his arms, Ryan squirms. "i-im just really at a crossroads here because as much as i would like to catch some evidence here, i frankly dont want to catch anything at all. and i know that's to the detriment of all you watching out there, but uh, frankly in this moment i don't really care" Whilst Ryan stares uneasily at Annabelle in her case, Shane streches forwards in an attempt to touch the glass. "nope!" Ryan cries, all but wrenching Shane's arm downwards mere centimeters from hitting its target. "no!" he all but breathes the word, "no". 

Shane lets out a wheeze of a laugh at the other's reaction. 

"Jesus Christ man. Oh god, you almost gave me a heart attack. That's what kills me, just the fright alone..." Ryan runs a hand shakily through his hair in a bid to calm himself down. "well Annabelle, the next time you see us, it's gonna be just us alone and i would like to say while everyone's in the room here that i respect you and i don't want anything to happen. in fact, if you were to say nothing to me, that would be great"

In a routine the boys had done so many times before, Shane sends Ryan a farewell of a salute watching as the other all but scrambled out of the room. 

Fighting the smirk on his face as the door closes behind Ryan's retreated figure, Shane sweeps his gaze over the darkned room. "alright Annebelle, its just you and me now... now there's no hiding. just you and the Shanester" Almost predictably, he's greeted with an eery silence. "i will say, i do not respect you" he lowers his voice as he stares down the doll. "i do not respect you" he repeats gravely.

Annebelle stares lifelessly back and the taller man huffs out a breath, eyes dropping to the peice of technology in his palm. "again, i'm checking this meter all over" Shane muses, waving the technology all over the wooden case housing Annabelle. As he moves the meter upwards it spikes suddenly. "oh! by the cross we get a little reading. Maybe that's our pal JC. i dont know if he just hangs out in every cross in the world or if he's split among them like a Horcrux, but good to see him" he jokes, dragging the meter back down before Annabelle. "that feels like some positive energy" 

He pauses, fighting the grin off his face. "is he gonna show up in the Conjuring Cinematic Universe at some point to fight you?" he ponders mockingly. 

Silence once more meets Shane's words. 

"come on out, fly around the room, make my bones burn. i dont know what demons do" He's glad the camera isnt on his face as he grins, a shadow coming over his features as his eyes flashing with an unearthly for a moment. "singe my flesh, scratch me up, make me bleed" Shane drones, oblivious to the way the right flashlight had turned on. "can you make me go blind?" he ponders before the light caught his attention. "oh look, i'm seeing some action on the flashlight over here. was that you? if that was you, why don't you turn it off for me?" the moment the words escapes him, the left flashlight lit up. "oh, now you're turning this one on" his voice dips into a thoughtful tone. "okay, so we're getting double flashlight action, that's always a joy to see" 

"if you are going to kill me, turn the right one off" he demands, the moment he says it the right flashlight turned off. "okay, pretty- pretty uh resolute on that"

Lifting a hand to his chin, the other taps a finger to the outline of his jaw in thought. "if you're gonna kill Ryan Steven Bergara in the next week, turn that left flashlight off" he drops his attention to said flashlight, watching as the light flickers on and off. "its flickering... its getting there" it turns off. "and he's dead" 

Theres a moment of silence as Shane stares down Annabelle, a thoughtful crease to his brow as he stares down the soulless eyes of the doll. 

"i know you can hear me" he states lowly and at his feet his shadow shifts, contorting as if a pair of leathery wings situated on his form, twisted horns sprouting from the crown of his head. "do you know who i am?" he pauses to chuckle drly, "of course you do... it's me" his eyes flash, glowing cherry red akin to the glow akin to that of a cigaret. "now that human, Ryan Bergara... he is mine, do you hear me?" 

Silence meets his words and in the reflection of those dolls eyes he can sense the demon's anger simmering distantly like a storm brewing out on the horizen. "so if he ends up hurt there is nothing in this world which will save you. Not you, not the devil and _certainly_ not the big man upstairs" 

The taller man runs his hand absently across the wooden case, hands singeing as he drags a clawed finger across it. He jerks his hand back instantly at the bite, eyes dropping to notice his skin blistering. He stares at it for a pause before he drops it, rubbing his finger in vain across the seam of his jeans as if he could wipe off the residue of the holy water on his skin. 

"i hope you remember our chat just now for if i find out that you've harmed him..." he trails the the threat off, knowing his presence alone is enough to scare the being into submission. 

He opens his mouth to continue when he's aware of the sound of the door creaking open. at his feet his shadow contorts again, returning to a more humanoid shape as a thin slice of light peaking into the darkness around him, hearing familair footsteps make their way into the room all the while.

"times up" Ryan's voice calls to him.

"it is?" he questions tone lighter than it had been moments ago, blinking against the sudden outburst of light all the while in a bid to let his eyes return to his human form. "all right" 

Oblivious Ryan walks closer towards him, arm brushing Shane's in an akward fumble in the dark. "my turn" the smaller man anounces, jaw set determinedly. 

"it is your turn..." Shane hums lips twitch upwards in knowing amusement. "I'm gonna say, i said it to her face, she's weak sauce bro... have fun in here" As he walks past the other, he leaves a linger pat on the other shoulder. It gives him a moment to look the smaller man in the eye for the last time before Ryan finds himself alone in the room. 

"i'm glad you set the stage so delicately for me" Ryan deadpanned, fiddling with equipment in his hands as Shane slowlly closes the door behind him. 

"alright" the word cuts off as a compulsive laugh escapes him. "im alone in the Warren's House surrounded by the world's most haunted items..." Sparing a glance around at the darkness Ryan lets himself have a calming breath in. "My name is Ryan. If you would like to speak to me, show me a sign. you can move someth... " trailing off Ryan jerks himself back, head spinning to look to his side. There's a pause as he tries to rationalise the noise and if it indeed related to the demonic doll before him. "you can move something in here. you could say something. you could make the temperature drop" Pausing he tries in vain to look around at the pitch darkness around him. "manipulate the energy of the room, i'll catch it on this device here " 

"i don't even want to get close to her" he utters aloud to himself as he slowly makes his way closer to the doll. 

"Annabelle, there is a flashlight on your right and there's a flashlight on your left. When i count to five, turn off the flashlight on your right and turn on the flashlight on your left. This will let me know you want me to talk to you. 

"Here we go. one... two... three... four... five" 

There's a pause as he just stares blindly forwards, eyes latched on the flashlights with baited breath. Slowly he realeses the sigh as seconds roll by. "thats good enough for-" At that moment his voice fails him as the flashlight on the right ubruplty switched off. 

Fighting off the panic whelling within him, Ryan decides to question the being. "why did you pretend to be a little girl named Annabelle?"

"god those eyes are just so empty... its just like a- like a void you could fill with anything you want" His eyes drop from the dolls soulless stare to witness the moment the flashlight on the left turned on. The static noise of the Spirit Box his only comfort as he takes in the reality of the being following his command although it only makes him panic as he becomes aware sound of something moving and shattering startles him from his thoughts. "ah! of Fuck!" he cries jolting backwards in horror as the door swings open with blinding light. 

Frozen he can only watch in terror as a firgure makes its way towards him in the darkness, Shane's familair laugh calming him. "jesus christ!" Ryan curses, relief filling him at the sight of his friend. 

"your time's up" Shane announces, amusement clear in his voice. "did you not expect me?" 

"well the flashlight turned on and then the door opened and i thought something was rustling around the room" 

Shane turns away from Ryan to survey the room, eyes flashing unearthly. "just me" he reasures, turning back to Ryan with a soothing expression. 

Nodding Ryan decides to wrap up the shoot before his nerves get anymore shot. "Well, Annabelle, this had been uh, i don't know if fun is the word i'd use"

"it's been fun, it has been fun" Shane cuts in. "you're a wonderful host, thank you for having us." 

Shuffling Ryan continues to nod. "yeah i appreciate the hospitality" 

"sweet gal" Shane pipes up, grinning wickedly as his teeth glint ominously in the cross-beam of the flashlight. 

"i appreciate you not doing anything to me now or in the future. and ah, i bid you adieu" 

"and just a reminder" Shane comments cheerily, ignoring the way Ryan sent him a pleading look. "Los Angeles doesn't have the best public transport in the world, so we are in vehicles quite a bit. Everyday, always traveling. just a heads up" 

Eyes slide towards Shane in silent annoyance Ryan frowned. "between me and you, he's free range" he whispered to the doll before a thought dawned on him. "Will that incriminate me in court if something happens to him? eh, its probably fine. Alright, well take it easy" 

Following shane's figure back into the daylight, Ryan felt as if he could breathe properly for the first in hours.

"that wasnt to bad was it, bud?" Shane quries, turning an assessing eye over Ryan to make sure the other wasnt shook up over the encounter. 

"im just glad to be out of there... Annabelle really gave me the creeps" Ryan admitted before levelling him with a serious look. "do you think it's really possessed, Shane?" 

Shane can't help the grin that tugs at his lips. "Don't be silly, Ryan, demons dont exist" he replies, lightly pushing the other forward and away from the house in dismissal. It is here with his hand a guiding presence against his companions back that Shane's attention was diverted with the apearence of the blisters which was once forgotten on show in broad daylight. The memory of holy water against his skin flashes in his mind as his eyes linger on the sores still coating Shane's hand. Their presence is proof in itself that demons are real but Ryan didn't have to know that... not yet at least. 

**Author's Note:**

> i hope this hasn't been done yet... 
> 
> ok look, that one line where Shane said "I’ll lock you up inside my rib-cage like a canary” got me thinking. Honestly the things that come out that mans mouth never fails to surprise me in the best way possible.


End file.
